MWSA Review

Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines – Their History. Retired USMC Lt. Col. David Brown and his daughter, Tiffany Brown Holmes, team up to write the definitive history of one of the best fighting units in the Vietnam War. They finally share with the rest of the world, the real history and the stories of one of America’s finest fighting units from the Vietnam War – Company F, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. Their history is told with much pride in a book called Battlelines. The book gives us the unit’s history through personal accounts of those who served from 1966 through 1971. It is all about real heroes and brotherhood and team work; but it is also about death, wounds and PTSD. It is about shared experiences in hell and funny stories as well.

The authors did a great job of piecing this unit’s history together so that it flows as one story as you read the book. There are some memories that hurt and will bring tears and some that may bring a smile. This book is about real men facing life and death and taking care of each other in the process. This is what the Marines are all about and this unit is one of the finest examples of that spirit.

There were at least two men who were awarded the Medal of Honor and the unit had a host of other men receive various and numerous medals for heroic deeds. But this unit also got more than its share of Purple Hearts (for wounds received while in combat). “Fox Company” even got aPresidential Unit Citation for the battle for Hue. This was not some garrison troop that went out on an occasional patrol. This was a fighting force to be reckoned with as the NVA and VC forces found out.

If you were only going to read one book about the Marines in Vietnam then this would be that one book you should read. It honors not only this unit but all Marines. It is well written and well researched and was obviously a labor of love for the authors

.Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

Author's Synopsis

“In Battlelines, Lieutenant Colonel Dave Brown and his daughter, Tiffany, have captured the reality of war. Their chronicle of comradeship forged in the crucible of combat is a must-read for anyone who cares about soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who fight our country’s battles.”
—Oliver L. North, Lieutenant Colonel, USMC (Ret.)

 “Battlelines…is a tribute to the brave Marines of Fox Company, 2/5, who fought in some of the sharpest battles of the war. I fought alongside Dave Brown and his Marines, and can attest to the courage and tenacity displayed by the men of Fox Company.”

—Martin L. Brandtner, Lieutenant General, USMC (Ret.)

“Battlelines is a superb memoir on human behavior and the raw emotions felt by those who must constantly face the dangers of either closing or defending that last 600 meters against an aggressive, determined, and often-unseen enemy. Implicit in the telling is a portrait of unsurpassed courage, steadfastness, and a sense of mutual affection for one another that can only be derived from men who find themselves together under fire.”
—O. K. Steele, Major General, USMC (Ret.)